Andrew Gold: Musician and songwriter whose collaborators included Ronstadt, Garfunkel and Cher | The Independent Andrew Gold: Musician and songwriter whose collaborators included Ronstadt, Garfunkel and Cher Tuesday 7 June 2011 23:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Andrew Gold was part of the outstanding musical scene which developed in Los Angeles in the 1970s and included Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. Gold, a multi-instrumentalist, played on numerous albums and also had his own hit singles with "Lonely Boy", "Never Let Her Slip Away" and "Thank You For Being A Friend". He could have had, and perhaps should have had, more solo success but his voice was probably not distinctive enough. "I know I can sing," he told me in 2000, "but I also know that I'm not Lennon or Sinatra." Andrew Gold was born in Burbank in August 1951, the son of two highly musical parents.

His father, Ernest, was a film composer who wrote the scores for On The Beach (1959) and Exodus (1960), and his mother, Marni Nixon, had a singing role in The Sound Of Music (1962) and was also Natalie Wood's singing voice in West Side Story (1961) and Audrey Hepburn's in My Fair Lady (1964). For part of his adolescence, Gold was educated in the UK. His musical talent was soon appreciated and in the early 1970s he was playing in two Los Angeles bands, Bryndle and the Rangers, both with the guitarist Kenny Edwards. While at Oakwood School in Hollywood, he met Linda Ronstadt, then singing with the Stone Poneys. Both Edwards and Gold were invited to join the Stone Poneys, and his burgeoning talent was soon recognised.

Gold sang and played guitars and keyboards on her big-selling and highly acclaimed solo albums, Heart Like A Wheel (1974), Prisoner In Disguise (1975), Hasten Down The Wind (1976), Living In The USA (1978), Mad Love (1980) and Get Closer (1982). In 1975 Linda Ronstadt had her only US No 1 with a revival of "You're No Good", previously a hit for Betty Everett and the Swinging Blue Jeans. The record was produced by Peter Asher but it was a tour de force for Gold, who played electric piano and drums as well as the guitar solo. Gold sang a duet with Ronstadt on a revival of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved", while Ronstadt encouraged him to make solo records and sang backing vocals on his first hit, "Lonely Boy". Although Gold put personal references in "Lonely Boy" (1975) including his year of birth, he told me that it was not autobiographical: "Maybe it was a mistake to do that but I simply put in those details because it was convenient.

I hadn't been a lonely boy at all – I'd had a very happy childhood." In1978, Gold had a UK Top 10 single with the ultra-catchy "Never LetHer Slip Away". "It's like McCartney meets Brian Wilson," he explained, "I can always tell when I am going into that mode. There's a very cheap synthesiser on that record, but it was right for the song." Gold promoted the single in the UK, admittedly spending much of his earnings in the gambling club, Crockfords. This led to his album track, "I'm A Gambler". He followed up with another Top 20 single, "How Can This Be Love". Gold had a third hit in 1978 with "Thank You For Being A Friend", which had a new lease of life when it was sung by Cindy Fee as the theme for TheGolden Girls (1985-92). Gold released the albums, Andrew Gold (1975), What's Wrong With This Picture (1976), AllThis And Heaven Too (1978) and Whirlwind (1980).

He did, however, refuseto sign contracts with music publishing companies, calling them "banks with real bad interest rates posing as song pluggers." There is no doubt that Gold was regarded as a very safe pair of hands and he was invited to play on scores of albums. They included Maria Muldaur (1974), Kate And Anna McGarrigle (1975), Jennifer Warnes' Shot Through The Heart (1979) and Stephen Bishop's Careless (1976). He was strongly featured on Art Garfunkel's album, Breakaway (1975) and provided most of the accompaniment on the stunning No 1 single, "I Only Have Eyes For You". Less successful was his support for a Playboy model, Barbi Benton, who was determined to be a pop and country singer. Among the albums he produced were Rita Coolidge's Heartbreak Radio (1981) and Nicolette Larson's All Dressed Up And No Place To Go (1982). After Gold had done some session work for the UK group, 10cc, he was offered a place in the group, which at the time wasn't convenient.

After 10cc had broken up, he formed the band Wax, with Graham Gouldman. Their most successful album was American English (1987) and they had hit singles with "Right Between Your Eyes" and "Bridge To Your Heart". The duo worked on different projects right up to Gold's death. There was less session work in the late '80s, but Gold was on Cher's multi-million selling Heart Of Stone (1989).In 1992, the UK band, Undercover, had a Top 10 with a revival of "Never Let Her Slip Away", and he wrote a US country hit for Wynonna Judd, "I Saw The Light". A torch song, "Try Me Again", that he and Ronstadt had written for Hasten Down The Wind, was revived by Trisha Yearwood and was also a country success. In 1995, Gold, Edwards, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff reformed Bryndle for an album. Gold also made an album, Greetings From Planet Love, as the Fraternal Order of the All which was a tribute by way of original songs to his favourite 60s bands.

He moved to Nashville for The Spence Manor Suite (2000) and his co-writers included Raul Malo of the Mavericks. There were some desultory performances though, notably playing Alvin of the Chipmunks on their version of Garth Brooks' "Friends In Low Places". His last solo album was Copy Cat (2008). Possibly the strangest testimony to his success came in 1996 when his theme song for the TV series Mad About You (1992-99) was used to start Rover, a remote-controlled robot on the Mars Pathfinder space probe. Andrew Gold, musician and songwriter: born Burbank, California 2 August 1951: married twice (three daughters); died 3 June 2011.

More about: Andrew Gold / What's Wrong With This Picture / All This And Heaven Too / Whirlwind - Demon Music GroupDemon Music Group Barcode: 740155301637 Genre: Pop, Pop Rock The son of a Hollywood film composer and singer Marni Nixon, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gold was Linda Ronstadt’s musical director from 1973 to 1977 before his songwriting talent was recognised and he signed to David Geffen’s Asylum Records. These four albums produced worldwide hits, with songs like “Lonely Boy”, “Never Let Her Slip Away” and “Thank You For Being A Friend” remaining radio favourites to this day. This special digipak edition also includes an amazing twenty bonus tracks, dating from 1975 to 1980. The booklet contains annotation by Alan Robinson. That's Why I Love You Heartaches In Heartaches One Of Them Is Me How Can This Be Love?

Oh Urania (Take Me Away) Still You Linger On Never Let Her Slip Away Always For You Thank You For Being A Friend Looking For My Love Sometimes When A Man's On His Own Broken Pin Ball Machine Ten Years Behind Me [demo] Hang My Picture Straight [live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1975] Lonely Boy [original version] Hope You Feel Good [live at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles 1976] Gambler [version # 1] Thank You For Being A Friend [outtake] Dr Robert [live] Still You Linger On [alternate take] Gambler [version # 2] Endless Flight [live at the Gator Bowl, Jacksonville, FL, 1978] The 'In' Crowd Andrew Gold - News, Photos, Videos, Bio. Free music downloads at MP3.com Andrew Gold Read More... Andrew Maurice Gold (August 2, 1951 – June 3, 2011) was an American singer, songwriter, musician and arranger.

His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" (1977), as well as "Thank You for Being a Friend" (1978) and "Never Let Her Slip Away" (1978). Gold was a multi-instrumentalist who played guitar, bass, keyboards, accordion, synthesizer, harmonica, saxophone, flute, drums and percussion, as well as more arcane musical devices such as ukulele, musette, and harmonium. He was also a producer, sound engineer, film composer, session musician, actor, and painter. Throughout the years, he played and/or sang on records and/or live performances with artists including Carly Simon, Jennifer Warnes, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, Maria Muldaur, Neil Diamond, Barbi Benton, Juice Newton, Leo Sayer, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Karla Bonoff, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Frankie Valli/Four Seasons , Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Roy Orbison, Don Henley, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Cher, Jesse McCartney and J.D. Souther.

Gold was born in Burbank, California, and eventually followed his parents into show business. His mother is singer Marni Nixon (who provided the singing voice for numerous actresses, notably Natalie Wood in West Side Story, Deborah Kerr in The King and I, and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady); his father was Ernest Gold, the Austrian-born, Academy Award-winning composer for the movie Exodus. He has two younger sisters. Gold began writing songs at the age of 13. Abroad in England for school, the 16-year old Gold scored his first recording contract on the strength of a selection of demos he submitted to Polydor Records’ London office. That contract resulted in the single "Of All the Little Girls," which was recorded with his friend and collaborator Charlie Villiers, and released in 1967 under the name Villiers and Gold. Career 1970–79 By the early 1970s, Gold was working full-time as a musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a member of the Los Angeles band Bryndle, alongside Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff, releasing the single "Woke Up This Morning" in 1970.

He played a major role as multi-instrumentalist and arranger for Linda Ronstadt's breakthrough album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel, and her next four albums. Among other accomplishments, he played the majority of instruments on "You're No Good," Ronstadt's first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, and the same on "When Will I Be Loved," "Heat Wave" and many other classic hits. He was in her band from 1973 until 1977, and then sporadically throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1975, Gold began recording as a solo artist, releasing four studio albums in the 1970s and over twelve since then. His hit single "Lonely Boy" reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in June 1977 and has appeared in a number of film soundtracks, including Boogie Nights in 1997 and Adam Sandler's 1998 movie The Waterboy, among others.

In February 2000, the American rock band Foo Fighters recorded a cover of the song to be used as a B-side for an upcoming single off their 1999 album There Is Nothing Left to Lose; however, it wasn't used as planned. On Marc Maron's January 17, 2013 WTF podcast, Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl said that the band's cover of "Lonely Boy" would eventually be released as the A-side of a special "Solid Gold" 45 rpm single with a Foo Fighters version of Gold's "Never Let Her Slip Away" as the B-side. Although "Lonely Boy" was the bigger radio hit in the States, his single "Thank You for Being a Friend" (which peaked at #25 in 1978) later gained popularity as the theme song for the 1985–92 NBC situation comedy The Golden Girls (performed by Cindy Fee for the show).

"Thank You for Being a Friend" has also shown up in places as diverse as an episode of the long-running animated TV situation comedy The Simpsons, a 2013 Super Bowl ad for the National Football League,[10] and an audio file in various musical greeting cards. Gold's biggest UK hit was "Never Let Her Slip Away," which made it to #5 twice on the British singles charts, once by him and again 14 years later by dance-pop group Undercover. Freddie Mercury, who was a friend of Gold's, assisted him with sparse harmony vocals as an uncredited background singer. Among the artists recording Gold's material was British singer Petula Clark who covered "Lonely Boy" in French ("Poor Lonesome Playboy") on her Paris, Orleans, Paris album. In 1976, Gold wrote the title track "Endless Flight" for singer Leo Sayer's hit album.

1975 also marked a successful collaboration with Art Garfunkel, wherein Gold played most of the instruments on Garfunkel's solo hit "I Only Have Eyes For You" (which went to #1 on the UK Singles Chart), as well as several other cuts on Garfunkel's album Breakaway. That year, Gold also played guitar on two cuts of Eric Carmen's album Boats Against the Current, including "She Did It," which was a #23 hit that same year.[17] Gold toured with the Eagles; worked in the recording studio and toured with Jackson Browne; played and sang on record and toured with James Taylor; and was second engineer on part of Joni Mitchell's Blue album. 1980–2011 In 1981, Gold produced, co-wrote, sang and played on three 10cc tracks that appeared the hit-making pop-rock band's 1981 album Ten Out of 10. Subsequently, Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman of 10cc invited Gold to become a member of the group. Although he had worked with them in the studio, business conflicts prevented him from joining up.

In late 1983, 10cc broke up, and in the aftermath, Gold and Gouldman formed Wax. Wax recorded and toured for five years. They enjoyed international success, particularly in the U.K. where the duo had several Top 10 hits including "Right Between the Eyes" and their biggest hit "Bridge to Your Heart". Wax broke up as a recording and touring entity in 1989, but Gold and Gouldman continued to write and record together when possible. Gold played on Cher's hit 1989 album Heart of Stone, and, during the early '90s, wrote hits for Trisha Yearwood as well as Wynonna Judd for whom he co-wrote the #1 single "I Saw The Light" with Lisa Angelle. (Later, Gold would produce Angelle on her own album, which featured a number of songs they co-authored.) He also produced singles for Vince Gill, wrote and produced tracks for Celine Dion, and arranged a cover of the Everly Brothers' hit “All I Have to Do Is Dream" that was sung by stars Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen in the 1984 science-fiction film Starman.

In the 1990s, Gold once again joined forces with ex-bandmates Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman and Kenny Edwards to re-form Bryndle and finally release their first full-length album, Bryndle. In 1996, Gold left Bryndle and released the children's holiday-oriented novelty album Halloween Howls. The same year, he released the solo album ....Since 1951, and produced Stephen Bishop's Blue Guitar album. Thereafter, he recorded the psychedelic '60s tribute album Greetings from Planet Love under the pseudonym The Fraternal Order Of The All, and released it on his own record label QBrain Records. This album was a multi-tracked solo affair with Gold essentially playing all of the instruments and singing all of the vocals on original songs in the style of Gold's favorite 1960s bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds and The Beach Boys. He produced, composed, and/or wrote tracks for numerous films, such as the comedy Rectuma from director Mark Pirro, and contributed songs to many television soundtracks and commercials. Among his more high-profile gigs, he sang "Final Frontier," the theme song for the television sitcom Mad About You.

In a remarkable turn of events, his rendition of the song was used as the wake-up call for the Mars Pathfinder space probe in 1996.[18] Gold also produced seven albums for Japanese singer-songwriter Eikichi Yazawa. During 2000, Gold compiled a Wax rarities album, Wax Bikini, as well as recording and releasing a new solo album The Spence Manor Suite - which was followed in 2002 by another solo collection Intermission. He appeared in a 2006 concert with the classic rock group America, and the performance was later released as a DVD entitled "America And Friends - Live at the Ventura Theater." The show featured Gold performing "Thank You for Being a Friend," "Final Frontier," "Bridge to Your Heart" and "Lonely Boy," as well as accompanying America and fellow guest artist Stephen Bishop on guitar and vocals. Gold had earlier produced America's Holiday Harmony Christmas album back in 2002, wherein he also played most of the instruments and co-wrote the track "Christmas in California." Personal life Gold was married to Vanessa Green, with whom he had three daughters, Emily, Victoria, and Olivia.

After a divorce from Green, he married Leslie Kogan. Although Gold put personal references in the lyrics to "Lonely Boy" (including his year of birth), he admitted in an interview that it was not autobiographical: "Maybe it was a mistake to do that, but I simply put in those details because it was convenient. I hadn't been a lonely boy at all – I'd had a very happy childhood."[21] On June 3, 2011, Gold died in his sleep from heart failure at age 59 in Los Angeles. Read more on Last.fm . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply. Top Songs Andrew Gold obituary | Music | The Guardian Andrew Gold obituary Singer-songwriter famed for the 1970s chart hit Lonely Boy Andrew Gold performing at the New Victoria Theatre, London, in 1976.

Photograph: David Redfern/Redferns Monday 6 June 2011 13.11 EDT First published on Monday 6 June 2011 13.11 EDT Share on Messenger Close Best known for his 1970s solo hits Never Let Her Slip Away and Lonely Boy, Andrew Gold, who has died of a heart attack aged 59, was an accomplished all-round musician, composer and arranger. His skills in the recording studio helped to propel Linda Ronstadt to stardom, and he worked with a long list of top-flight artists from the Eagles and Jackson Browne to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Cher and Celine Dion. A musical career seemed almost inevitable from the moment he was born, in Burbank, California. His parents were Marni Nixon, the singer who dubbed the musical performances of Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady, Deborah Kerr in The King And I and Natalie Wood in West Side Story, and the composer Ernest Gold, who scored the movie Exodus. Andrew recalled living in Laurel Canyon as a teenager: "My father had this little studio with a piano and all his awards. When he was working on a movie he'd go up there and compose.

I'd wake up to this piano music over and over. I was always going to be a musician, and my parents encouraged me." He first met Ronstadt as a high school student in the 1960s, when he saw her perform with her band the Stone Poneys ("My girlfriend was pissed off at me cos I kept checking out Linda's legs," he confessed.) When the group split up in 1967, Gold teamed up with their guitarist Kenny Edwards and singer-songwriters Wendy Waldman and Karla Bonoff to form Bryndle (the "y" in the name was in homage to The Byrds). The group secured a recording deal and made an album, though it was not released. Bryndle split up, and Edwards and Gold joined Ronstadt's new band. Gold was a crucial contributor to her 1974 breakthrough album, Heart Like a Wheel, adding the celebrated guitar solo to the Billboard chart-topper You're No Good. He stayed with Ronstadt until 1977, playing on her next four albums.

Even before leaving the Ronstadt fold, he had branched out into a solo career, releasing his first album, Andrew Gold, in 1975, and following it up with What's Wrong With This Picture? (1976). Lonely Boy gave him his first big hit, in 1977, cracking the US top 10 and reaching No 11 in Britain. Gold revealed that the song was partly inspired by Ry Cooder's version of How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live, adding that "I thought it should be an eight-minute opus, but I got bored after three and a half." The following year brought a streak of further hits with How Can This Be Love, Thank You for Being a Friend and Never Let Her Slip Away, the last of these gaining far more recognition in the UK than in the US (it also featured Freddie Mercury on backing vocals). Gold now began to exhibit his skills across a broader canvas. He played all the instruments on Art Garfunkel's I Only Have Eyes for You and made numerous instrumental contributions to Garfunkel's 1975 album Breakaway.

He played the drums and guitar on Eric Carmen's album Boats Against the Current (1977), which included the hit She Did It. He co-wrote the chart-topping single I Saw the Light (1992) for Wynonna Judd, and produced the top 20 hit Personally for Bonoff. He worked with all the ex-Beatles except George Harrison, and with Don Henley, Brian Wilson, James Taylor and many more. Having collaborated on three songs with 10cc, Gold was invited to join the group, but was prevented from doing so by other commitments. However, when 10cc split in 1983, Gold teamed up with Graham Gouldman in Wax, which scored several big hits including Right Between the Eyes and Bridge to Your Heart, before splitting up in 1989. In the 90s, he reassembled Bryndle with its original members, and the group finally managed to release its debut album.

The mid-90s found Gold essaying several whimsical solo projects, such as the Halloween album Halloween Howls (1996) and a set of 60s pastiche tracks called Greetings from Planet Love, released under the pseudonym of the Fraternal Order of the All (1997). He also pursued a fruitful sideline in music for commercials and movie and TV soundtracks. His song Thank You for Being a Friend was used as the theme for the television series The Golden Girls, in a version by Cynthia Fee; and also cropped up in episodes of The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live. "I think the 60s and 70s were the peak period for the singer-songwriter, for sure," Gold commented in 2000. "Nowadays it's a slightly different thing, with the recording and arrangement more important than the song. But I'm not bothered by it. It's a phase and it's new. I don't want to be like my grandparents, saying 'This isn't good like in our day!'" Gold is survived by his wife, Leslie; his daughters, Emily, Victoria and Olivia; his mother; and two sisters.

• Andrew Maurice Gold, singer, composer and arranger, born 2 August 1951; died 3 June 2011 Andrew Gold - YouTube Andrew Gold The next video is starting stop 140,879 views 4 years ago Featuring Waddy Wachtel on lead guitar. Old Grey Whistle Test. "Lonely Boy" is a song written and recorded by Andrew Gold in 1976 for his album What's Wrong with This Picture? When released as a single in 1977, the song became a top-twenty hit in both the United States (#7) and the United Kingdom (#11). Produced by Peter Asher. Andrew is known for being a singer, songwriter, musician and arranger. His works also include "Thank You for Being a Friend" (1978) and "Never Let Her Slip Away" (1978).

Gold was a multi-instrumentalist who played guitar, bass, keyboards, accordion, synthesizer, harmonica, saxophone, flute, drums and percussion, as well as more arcane musical devices such as ukulele, musette, and harmonium.[1] He was also a producer, sound engineer, film composer, session musician, actor, and painter. Gold played and recorded with artists such as Carly Simon, Jennifer Warnes, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop, America, Nicolette Larson, Maria Muldaur, Neil Diamond, Barbi Benton, Juice Newton, Leo Sayer, Freddie Mercury, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Karla Bonoff, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Roy Orbison, Don Henley, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Cher, Jesse McCartney and J.D. Souther. He played a major role as multi-instrumentalist and arranger for Linda Ronstadt's breakthrough album, 1974's Heart Like a Wheel, and her next four albums.

Among other accomplishments, he played the majority of instruments on "You're No Good," Ronstadt's only #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, and the same on "When Will I Be Loved," "Heat Wave" and many other classic hits. Show less Andrew Gold, most famous for his hits "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You for Being a Friend" also had over 1000 other songs. Enjoy some of them on Rhino's Official Channel. 4:41 Play next Play now Andrew Gold with Linda Rondstadt Play all Andrew was a strategic part of Linda's success. He was her de facto Musical Director and arranged and played many instruments on Heart Like a Wheel and other albums - his arrangement of You're No Good sent her on a string of top ten hits exploding Linda to becoming the best selling female artist in the 70s. 3:19 Play next Play now Play next Play now Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman -- the '80s.

3:46 Play next Play now Greetings From Planet Love - The Fraternal Order of the All Play all The Fraternal Order Of The All “Greetings From Planet Love” (J-Bird Records, 1997) Best remembered for late seventies hit singles like “Lonely Boy” and “Thank You For Being A Friend” as well as session work with a handful of notable performers, namely Linda Ronstadt, Andrew Gold is actually the face behind The Fraternal Order Of All. Graham Gouldman, whose stunning resume includes penning tunes for the Hollies, the Yardbirds and Herman’s Hermits, not to mention membership in 10cc, also contributed a couple of songs to “Greetings From Planet Love.” Although the album was intended to be a tongue-in-cheek affair, it is so great that it’s too bad Andrew didn’t pursue such psychedelic fantasies. Claming to be recorded between August 1967 and August 1968, “Greetings From Planet Love” weighs in as a flawless reflection of the flower power era, right down to the trippy sound effects to the weird, wiggy and whimsical lyrical content.

Robbing every trick from the freak machine imaginable, but doing so with a grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat, The Fraternal Order Of The All channels the soul of the paisley-poised Beatles on the irresistibly hooky “Rainbow People” with shameless verve, while both “Love Tonight” and “Tuba Rye And Will’s Son/Balloon In The Sky,” with their pastoral textures, goose-pimply harmonies and complex arrangements say hello to the Beach Boys. Slathered with reedy keyboard fills, a cotton candy and ferris wheel ambience worthy of the Strawberry Alarm Clock pervades the cheesy instrumental doodles of “Swirl,” and the chugging “Freelove Baby” blends acid-laced raga rock riffs with funky rhythms. Drenched to the bone with jangly licks, the gorgeously melodic “Space And Time” does the Byrds better than the Byrds themselves, which is indeed an accomplishment considering how utterly remarkable the Byrds are.

Assembled of angelic choruses and a production so sparkling that it is blinding, “Time Is Standing Still” is a spellbinding slice of pure pop magic, and the eerie expressions of “Ride The Snake” pays obvious lip service to the Doors. Croaking vocals, clearly modeled after those of Bob Dylan, cap the sarcastic “Mr. Plastic Business Man,” where the rousing “Tomorrow Drop Dead” is more or less the cousin of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” as it squeaks and squeals with backwards guitars. Created strictly for fun, “Greetings From Planet Love” may be silly, but the quality of the material is excellent and the songs are played with an earnest feel and understanding of the music The Fraternal Order Of The All so accurately imitates. Had the album been released at the height of the psychedelic craze, there’s no doubt it would have reaped praise. In June of 2011 Andrew Gold departed the earthly realm, but you bet your bippy he’s now in rock and roll heaven, hopefully jamming good to a day-glo beat!

Review made by Beverly Paterson/2013 3:41 Rhino Hi-Five: Andrew Gold - EP by Andrew Gold on Apple Music THESE ARE ORIGINAL HIT VERSIONS! by TexaninTn I don't write music reviews too often. However, I feel like I have to write a review in response to the stupid review which, incorrectly, states that these songs are re-recorded versions of the originals. Folks, this IS THE ORGINAL HIT VERSIONS. I own two of these songs ("Thank You for Being a Friend" and "Lonely Boy"). And, I am old enough to remember very well when they first came out way back around 1977 and 1978. I even watched Andrew Gold perform live, as the opening act for Dolly Parton, in a 1978 concert in Charleston, W.V. These songs are so easy to recognize--especially "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You for Being a Friend" since they've been played for 30 years on the airwaves--that it is hard to think someone could write a review incorrectly stating that these are re-recordings.

I personally think "Thank You for Being a Friend" (it became the theme song for the sitcom "The Golden Girls" in the 1980s) is one of the finest songs ever written--and these, original, versions are absoulutely worth purchasing! No it's not! by mfg of sd In reply to cc... I just downloaded "Lonely Boy" and it is not a re-recording. It's the original album version of the song. The 45 version was 4:01, the LP version was 4:17. Go figure! Original Recording by House of Cheese I can't speak for the whole "disc", but "Lonely Boy" is DEFINITELY the original. I actually had this version on a 45rpm 7" single, and had been only able to find the radio edit version on CD in the past. While I still have some gripes about iTunes hit and miss selection, this song is the real deal.

Biography Born: August 2, 1951 in Burbank, CA Genre: Pop Years Active: '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s Best remembered for his mid-'70s smashes "Lonely Boy" and "Thank You for Being a Friend," pop singer/songwriter Andrew Gold was born in Burbank, California on August 2, 1951. The son of composer Ernest Gold (who won an Academy Award for his score to the film Exodus) and vocalist Marni Nixon (the singing voice of Natalie Wood in West Side Story and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady), he first attracted attention as a member of the Los Angeles band Bryndle alongside Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman, and Karla... Top Albums and Songs by Andrew Gold 1.

Andrew Gold Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Bridge to Your Heart (Andrew Gold) Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) (Billie Joe Armstrong/Green Day) I Get Around (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) Never Let Her Slip Away (Andrew Gold) Strawberry Fields Forever (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Got to Get You into My Life (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) In My Life (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Here There and Everywhere (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Rocky Raccoon (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Thank You for Being a Friend (Andrew Gold) Catch a Wave (Brian Wilson/Mike Love) Final Frontier (Theme from "Mad About You") (Paul Reiser/Don Was) Your Song (Elton John/Bernie Taupin) Let It Be (John Lennon/Paul McCartney) Andrew Gold: Vocals and various instruments. All songs composed as notated.

2008 The Beatles Produced by Andrew Gold (Gigatone) All I've Got to Do Got to Get You into My Life In My Life Ball and Chain (Andrew Gold/Graham Gouldman)#### Don't Play That Song (Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman)## Andrew Gold: Vocals and various instruments. All songs composed by Andrew Gold, unless otherwise notated. *Produced by Andrew Gold **Produced by Peter Asher *** Produced by Chuck Plotkin **** Produced by Andrew Gold and Brock Walsh #Produced by Phil Thornalley ##Produced by Peter Collins ###Produced by Christopher Neil #### Produced by Andrew Gold and Graham Gouldman A number of the above-listed recordings, particularly hit singles and popular album tracks, have appeared on multiple, international, multi-artist compilations over the years - and are also available as individual downloadable mp3s.

1986 Magnetic Heaven WAX (ANDREW GOLD & GRAHAM GOULDMAN) Produced by Phil Thornalley (RCA) Right Between the Eyes River of Stone (Wendy Waldman/Reed Nielsen) Daddy's Little Girl (Karla Bonoff) Just Can't Walk Away Andrew Gold: Vocals, guitars, bass, mandolin, piano, organ, synthesizers, string samples, drums. All songs composed by Bryndle (Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards, Andrew Gold, and Wendy Waldman), except where noted.

2002 House of Silence Bryndle (KARLA BONOFF, KENNY EDWARDS, ANDREW GOLD, WENDY WALDMAN) Produced by Bad Haggard (Audio & Video Labs) Every Stone (Wendy Waldman & Kenny Edwards) Bitter Wheel (Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman, Karla Bonoff) All The Way Gone (Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman, Kenny Edwards) This Time Around (Kenny Edwards & Wendy Waldman) As Long As It's Real (Wendy Waldman) Crawl into the Light (Andrew Gold, Kenny Edwards, Wendy Waldman) Like a Compass (Karla Bonoff & Wendy Waldman) Concrete River (Wendy Waldman, Kenny Edwards, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold) All I Need to Know (Wendy Waldman, Kenny Edwards, Karla Bonoff) Night Full of Rain (Kenny Edwards, Steve Byron, Dave Byron) Heart of Fire (Kenny Edwards & Wendy Waldman) One Heartbeat Away (Andrew Gold, Wendy Waldman, Kenny Edwards, Karla Bonoff) Forever Ride (Wendy Waldman, Bill Miller, Brad Parker) Andrew Gold: Vocals, guitar

, bass, bass, programming.

All songs composed as notated. Bio Every day, somewhere across the globe, someone is enjoying the music of Andrew Gold. Whether it's his joyous ode "Thank You for Being a Friend," his plaintive hit "Lonely Boy," his chiming guitar work and supple arrangements on various classic tracks such as Linda Ronstadt's smash "You're No Good," his crafty, ear-friendly art-pop as one half of the duo Wax UK, or one of his engaging children's albums, Andrew produced some of the most beloved sounds of the past 50 years. View More Andrew's remarkable career in popular music showcased his prodigious talents as a mellifluous, passionate singer; a polished, thoughtful, astute songwriter; a creative, meticulous producer, arranger and engineer; and a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist. Born in Burbank, CA. on August 2, 1951 and raised in Hollywood, Andrew was a precocious kid. He wrote his first songs when he was a mere 13 years old, dazzled by the sweet and glistening din of the British Invasion ensembles - especially the Beatles.

Diligently, he mastered a band's worth of instruments including guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. It's no surprise that music was Andrew's calling. His father, Ernest Gold, was one of Hollywood's premier composers, winning an Academy Award for scoring the epic feature-film "Exodus." And his mother, Marni Nixon, was an accomplished singer and musical performer renowned for providing the singing voices of famous actresses in high-profile films, such as Natalie Wood in "West Side Story"; Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady"; and Deborah Kerr in "The King and I." While a schoolboy abroad in England, Andrew scored his first recording contract at the age of 16 after he submitted a selection of demos to Polydor Records' London office. It would only be a few years later when he would have his first major impact on the world of pop music, teaming up with then-rising country-rock singer Linda Ronstadt and her producer Peter Asher. Beginning with her 1974 breakthrough album "Heart Like a Wheel," Andrew collaborated on the majority of Linda's records in the 1970s.

He sang and played behind her as a mainstay of her band, manning virtually every instrument on her #1 hit "You're No Good" (which features a classic Gold guitar bridge) and much of "Heart Like a Wheel." As Linda's go-to arranger, he crafted the sounds of such memorable Ronstadt chart-toppers as "When Will I Be Loved," and "Heatwave." Andrew was in Linda's band from 1973 until 1977, and also played with her from time to time throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Earning kudos from critics and fans as well as the respect of his peers, Andrew was subsequently invited to share his skills with a who's who of music-industry superstars.

His vocal and instrumental prowess and deft songwriting enhanced the records or live performances of many major artists, including Celine Dion, Carly Simon, 10cc, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Diana Ross, Cher, Art Garfunkel, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, Jesse McCartney, Eric Carmen, Jennifer Warnes, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, Eric Carmen, Maria Muldaur, Neil Diamond, Juice Newton, Leo Sayer, Vince Gill, Aaron Neville, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Japanese superstar Eikichi Yazawa. But Andrew was becoming an accomplished solo artist, too. In the mid-1970's, he released four well-received pop-rock albums: "Andrew Gold" (1975), "What's Wrong with This Picture" (1976), "All This and Heaven Too" (1978), and "Whirlwind" (1979).

The elegant, melancholy single "Lonely Boy," taken from "What's Wrong with This Picture," was a Top 10 hit in the U.S., as was "Thank You for Being a Friend" from "All This and Heaven Too." "Thank You for Being a Friend" later became the theme for the massively popular television situation-comedy "The Golden Girls" - which continues to be watched and adored on cable TV, in syndication on broadcast TV, and on DVD throughout the world since its original NBC network run from 1985-1992. The song itself is considered a classic pop tune - a uplifting anthem of camaraderie with appeal that cuts across all demographics. Meanwhile, "Lonely Boy" has been featured on the soundtracks of a variety of films including 1997's "Boogie Nights" and 1998's "The Waterboy." Over the past three decades, Andrew continued to fashion memorable music. In the U.K. and beyond, he had solo success with singles such as "Never Let Her Slip Away" and "How Can This Be Love." His popularity in the U.K.

was so significant that he was asked to join hit-making British group 10cc in the early 1980s. Although he declined the offer, he linked up with 10cc singer/songwriter/musician Graham Gouldman to form Wax UK in 1983, recording three albums that spawned two international hits, "Right Between the Eyes" and "Bridge to Your Heart." Although they dissolved Wax in 1989, Gold and Gouldman never stopped writing and recording together whenever possible. Back in the early 1970s, Andrew had co-founded the ensemble Bryndle with Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman, and Kenny Edwards; they reunited in the early 1990s, producing the tuneful, engaging albums "Bryndle" (1995) and "House of Silence" (2001) before going their separate ways again. True to his lineage, Andrew produced and wrote songs and music for numerous television and movie soundtracks.

He also sang "Final Frontier," the theme to the long-running Paul Reiser-Helen Hunt TV sitcom "Mad About You." (Andrew's rendition of "Final Frontier" was actually used as the wake-up call for the Mars Pathfinder space probe in 1996, making his vocal the first human voice heard on Mars.) He found time to write and produce hit recordings for many of his aforementioned friends and colleagues, as well as producing a handful of tracks on "The Stars Come Out for Christmas" series of charity albums. In addition, he composed and recorded the exuberant holiday-themed children's albums "Halloween Howls" and "A Sugarbeats Christmas." With whimsy and affection, he formulated "Greetings from Planet Love" as a one-man band under the pseudonym The Fraternal Order of the All, with original songs written and performed in the style of Gold's favorite 1960s bands such as The Beatles, The Byrds, and The Beach Boys.

He released an album of Wax UK rarities, "Bikini Wax," and a best-of compilation with bonus cuts, "The Wax Files." A career retrospective entitled "Thank You for Being a Friend: The Best of Andrew Gold" was issued in 1997. Andrew didn't stop there. Finely-wrought solo albums - "....Since 1951," "Warm Breezes," "The Spence Manor Suite," and "Intermission" - were confected and unleashed. There is still a considerable amount of his studio work that has yet to be released but should soon be made available to the public. Gold died in his sleep, apparently from heart failure, on June 3, 2011 at age 59. He is survived by his second wife Leslie Kogan, his three daughters from his first marriage, and his mother. And though he passed away, his music will live on and on. As longtime friend and Grammy-winning producer Peter Asher put it, "Andrew's talent was almost eerie. He was a self-taught instinctive musician who seemed to be able to play any instrument he had a mind to.

He was a brilliant writer, a great singer, and a highly imaginative producer and arranger -- on top of being a multi-instrumentalist of the highest order. And he never failed to come up with something extraordinary every time he played." Can you findwhat's wrong with this picture? Click on the photo to the left and try and find what is Wrong With This Picture. How many things can you find wrong? 00 Andrew Gold - Telegraph Obituaries Andrew Gold Andrew Gold, who has died aged 59, had three middle-of-the-road British chart hits in the late 1970s, beginning with Lonely Boy, which reached No 11 in April 1977. Photo: REDFERNS 5:51PM BST 08 Jun 2011 Gold’s second chart success, in March 1978, was Never Let Her Slip Away. This was his biggest British hit, reaching No 5 in the charts.

After How Can This Be Love, which climbed to No 19 the following June, Gold’s fourth single, Thank You For Being A Friend (1978), managed to get only to No 42 that October, but achieved notoriety in Britain the following year in a completely unexpected way. In 1979 detectives hunting the Yorkshire Ripper, a serial killer of prostitutes in the north of England, received a cassette tape in the post. When they played it, they heard a nameless man with a Wearside accent taunt them over their failure to catch him and claim: “I’m Jack [the Ripper]”. Puzzlingly, the recording ended with 22 seconds of Gold singing Thank You For Being A Friend. Although the tape was soon dismissed as a hoax, it was 2005 before the owner of the voice was identified as John Humble, an alcoholic loner. When asked in the course of police interviews about the significance of his choice of music, Humble laughed, but never explained it. From 1985, Cindy Fee’s version of Thank You For Being A Friend was used as the theme song for the American sitcom The Golden Girls.

In 1996 Gold’s was the first human voice to be “heard” on the surface of Mars, when Final Frontier, his theme from the American television series Mad About You, was used to activate a robot for the Mars Pathfinder space probe. Andrew Maurice Gold was born on August 2 1951 at Burbank, Los Angeles, into a musical family. His father, Ernest Gold, composed the scores for dozens of Hollywood films, including Exodus (1960) — for which he won an Oscar — Too Much Too Soon (1958) and On The Beach (1959); his mother, the classically-trained soprano Marni Nixon, was best known for supplying the singing voices for film actresses, notably Deborah Kerr in The King And I (1956), Natalie Wood in West Side Story (1961), and Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady (1964). She also appeared as Sister Sophia in The Sound Of Music (1965). Andrew was 13 when he started writing pop songs, although he never learned to read music.

At Oakwood School in north Hollywood, he introduced himself to the singer Linda Ronstadt when she played a gig there with her group the Stone Poneys . By the early 1970s he had joined her band, and in 1974 played a variety of instruments and made the musical arrangements for Linda Ronstadt’s breakthrough album Heart Like A Wheel, as well as for her next four albums. Branching out as a record producer and musician, Gold recorded with Art Garfunkel on his solo hit I Only Have Eyes For You (1977), on which Gold played all the instruments; in the same year he played on Eric Carmen’s album Boats Against The Current, from which the track She Did It was a minor chart hit. Over the years he worked with many other major artists, among them John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Cher, James Taylor, Carly Simon and The Eagles.

In the early Eighties, Gold was invited to join Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman in their group 10cc, and was prevented from doing so by conflicting business interests; but when 10cc broke up in late 1983, Gold and Gouldman formed another group, Wax, which toured and recorded until 1989, their biggest hit being Bridge To Your Heart (1987). In the 1990s Gold, recording under a pseudonym, released an album of original songs in the style of his favourite Sixties’ bands, among them The Beatles, The Byrds and The Beach Boys. He was also a prolific composer of music for commercials and of film and television soundtracks. Andrew Gold, who died on June 3, apparently of a heart attack, is survived by his second wife, Leslie Kogan, and by three daughters of his first marriage.

Question: Who had hits with the songs, 'Lonely Boy' in 1976 and 'Never Let Her Slip Away' in 1978?
Answer: ANDREW GOLD